Scoring

Ease of Use

Landing page begins with an overview and provides a subtopic list that allows users to narrow their search. Content does not always present logically because related articles, blogs, message boards, and advertisements are mixed throughout. Subtopic organization seems random. Further, nested links send users deeper and deeper into searches without an easy return to the landing page. While the information here is patient-centered and educational, the site is one of the more difficult medical websites to navigate.

Visual Design

Homepage is cluttered with a disorganized jumble of articles, tools, and advertisements that clog the browsing experience. The reader's eye wanders all over the page due to the multiple areas for exploration. Worse, the majority of those choices are not specific to allergies. Large font and small chunks of text with lots of white space in between should make the content easy to read, but like the rest of WebMD, this section is not very visually pleasing.

Quality

Users will encounter everything they need to know from this comprehensive, detailed, and high quality information about allergic diseases. There is a general statement that the content is based on recent evidence and practice. Better yet, all content is referenced and reviewed by medical professionals, many of whom are specialists. Some topics are explored in more depth than others, but this website is a first-stop destination for many—and for good reason.

Credibility

All site content is authored and reviewed by a qualified staff of physicians, medical journalists, and health reporters. Even with such a large amount of information, WebMD makes sure its content is credible with extensive referencing & review by subject area experts and regular updates. This section carries all the authority and credibility associated with WebMD, so visitors can trust the allergic disease information is helpful and accurate.